Gonzaga, Arizona give region a Western feel for a change

Arizona players celebrate as they pose for photographers after defeating Oregon 83-80 in an NCAA college basketball game for the championship of the Pac-12 men's tournament Saturday, March 11, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) Arizona players celebrate as they pose for photographers after defeating Oregon 83-80 in an NCAA college basketball game for the championship of the Pac-12 men's tournament Saturday, March 11, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

By Associated Press March 12, 2017 4 min read

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – The West Region of the NCAA Tournament has a decidedly Western feel for a change.

Led by West Coast Conference champion Gonzaga and Pac-12 tournament winner Arizona, the top two teams in the West Region are actually from the Western part of the United States for the first time in 26 years.

The selection committee didn’t have to look far to find the top two seeds for the regional that will be decided in San Jose in two weeks. The Bulldogs (32-1) spent much of the year near the top of the polls, led by WCC player of the year Nigel Williams-Goss. The Wildcats (30-4) rolled to the Pac-12 title after the return of star Allonzo Trier from a 19-game suspension.

This marks the first time since 1991 when UNLV and Arizona got the honors that the top two seeds in the West Region came from the West.

Gonzaga will open against South Dakota State (18-16) and Arizona will play its first-round game against North Dakota (22-9), both in Salt Lake City.